Triumph of simplicity

I love simplicity but I try to avoid mentioning it too often. After all I do not want you to get bored, angry or offended. 🙂

Many years ago I was helping a business design a new system. The best brains in the organization gathered to make it the best possible one for the organization. I was with them but with a subtle difference. They wanted to add as many features as possible. I wanted to make it simple. They wanted to add an elaborate system of calculating the cost of items. I was against it. They wanted to manage inventory by incorporating all past practices, best practices and new ideas. I advised to design for simplicity. They insisted. I warned, protested, cried and then complied.

It took two painful years to realize that elaborate costing system was, yes, costing more than expected. And it took four more years to dawn that the inventory system which allowed all sort of ‘real life scenarios’ was nothing but pain to maintain. So it was decided to, yes, simplify it.

And it was decided today.

Simplicity; you are going to adopt it sooner or later. So better do it today.